Description
Raised in Berkshire c 1890 by Charles Ross who was the Head Gardener at Welford Park in Newbury, and is a cross between Cox's Orange Pippin (from which it gets some of its flavour) and Peasgood's Nonsuch (from which it gets its size). It makes a modestly sized tree tolerant of a wide range of soils and climates, and is hardy with a tolerance of coastal conditions and chalky soils. The fruit are greenish-yellow, flushed red and striped, the juice of which can be used for cider-making.
"Although Charles Ross was raised in Berkshire, we see it often enough in Yorkshire orchards for it to be included as part of the northern orchard tradition. It was listed in the Backhouse Catalogue in 1910. Aside from being a very handsome apple, it has proved hardy in the north, and has a useful tolerance of coastal exposure and chalky soils. It is best used early for both and eating because we find its flavour and texture deteriorate in store, becoming a little insipid and somewhat woolly… “the time of good flavour is fleeting” says Bunyard.
Faintly aromatic and sweet, the firm flesh keeps its shape when cooked, and early fruits have a slight hint of pears; it also makes a pleasant juice, and can be used for cider. It is pretty when sliced, skin on, as the topmost in a tart.
The tale of its name is like that of the Blenheim Orange, in reverse. Raised by Charles Ross. Head Gardener at Welford Park in Newbury. it was first exhibited in 1890 as Thomas Andrew Knight; it was given its rightful name in 1899, at the behest of his employer, Captain Carstairs, or his friend, the nurseryman William Pope. It was considered a promising apple fir commercial cultivation in the late 1920s and 1930s, but to seems to have been grown for market only on a modest scale. By the 1930s, Taylor would comment that 'plantings have been more restricted of late', perhaps a victim of the changing taste for a crisper bite." © Lin Hawthorne - 'The Northern Pomona'.
For help with choosing the correct rootstock for your needs, please click here A Guide to Rootstocks
For help with choosing the correct size and shape, please click here A Guide to Fruit Tree Shapes
